In the chaos and excitement of running a business, it easy to forget about ourselves. These five mindset messages will help you to stay on track with your emotional well-being, whilst building your business.
MY TIME IS PRECIOUS
It is important that you do your best for your clients. That said, your time as a professional is valuable. Do not let people take advantage of you by requesting additional unpaid work, discounts or freebies. Going the extra mile for a big project or giving free advice occasionally is fine but regularly going beyond the time agreed upon is not. If people believe they can get more from you for less, they will start to view your time as less valuable.
Women are often brought up being told that it’s not ok to stand up for yourself or mention your own achievements. Being courteous, kind and professional are important traits to have but not to the point of self detriment. Know your worth and don’t feel ashamed to state it.
I VALUE YOUR NEEDS
We are often told, “value your customers, they pay your bills.” While this is true, it comes from a place of valuing your customers purely for financial gain. Focusing on your client’s needs show that you respect their business and the opportunity to help them. Appreciating people’s needs, pain points and wants shows that you care about your business beyond its financial opportunities.
Adopt this mindset for yourself and you will project it onto your customers. Most business women I meet already go out of their way for their customers. Internalising this message will remind you why your business makes a difference. Tuning in to those feel-good elements of our work and connecting with our desire to help others keeps our businesses human.
MY SELF-WORTH IS NOT DETERMINED BY MY BUSINESS
When we’re emotionally invested in our business we can begin to let it define us. If you experience a setback in your business, it’s easy to turn around and think, “I’m a failure” rather than, “my business hit a bump in the road.” Linking your self-worth to your business in this way is damaging to your emotional health, your productivity and your ability to see setbacks as opportunities to learn.
Regularly remind yourself of your worth. Work on saying, “I am valuable” rather than, “I am valuable because I serve my clients needs/ make lots of money/ always turn up on time” etc. These things are fantastic achievements but they don’t determine your worth as a person. The more comfortable you are with your self-worth, the more you will be able to focus on your work without it being an emotionally loaded experience.
THIS IS MY PASSION
Passion is infectious. Showing that you care about your product or service and that it fires you up will attract people to work with you. Enthusiasm shows commitment, drive and a motivation to present your best self.
There are many days, as an entrepreneur, when you feel disconnected from your passion and your business. On those days, find something small that fires and excites you will help you to keep going. Regularly connecting with your passion will also remind you of the ‘heart’ of your business.
I AM A LEADER IN MY INDUSTRY
When we think of “leaders” and “pinoneers,” it’s usually the big celebrity names that come to mind; Richard Branson, Sheryl Sandberg, etc. However, being a small business owner or new enterprise does not exclude you from this list. Being a leader is a journey as much as it is a title. It’s about discovery, development and professionalism. You have important skills and talents that can benefit your clients and colleagues – don’t forget this.
Present yourself as someone with knowledge, act like a leader and remember to recognise the achievements you are making right now. Your success is not dependent on reaching a specific end point; you are successful in this moment because you are carving a new path for yourself.
What other mindsets do you hold as an entrepreneur? Sit down and write them out – you might be surprised by the ones which propel you forward or those that hold you back.
NATALIA SMITH // Natalia Sarah – The Copywriting Coach
Natalia is a writer, coach and entrepreneur. She teaches women how to write for their business in an authentic way and to build an audience that shares their passion. You can find her on Facebook and on Twitter.
